Dazzling Light
by starlies
Summary: That child, raised by Sonia... I thought she must be something like myself... But...the first time I saw you, you were with the Reed brothers, laughing... in that dazzling light... as if you belonged there... (complete! Nino and Jaffar's love story)
1. The Chink in The Armor

Hello! （‐＾▽＾‐）  
Ah hem... there isn't a lot of fe7 fics out here... at all. So I decided to give my contribution, since I really really really love these two and wanted to explore the events in between 7 and 6. It makes me sad that like... no one from 7 really gets a nice ending :( but oh well. I promise there will be fluff (but of course, a lot of angst too :).

In unrelated news, I graduated high school recently! (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑ (so I can spend more time writing fic instead of doing schoolwork, at least until college starts... eheh)

* * *

"No point in talking to you, is there? It's just like your friend Sonia said: you truly are soulless."

 _Was_ soulless.

"You are death incarnate. You feel nothing, fear nothing, desire nothing... You kill. Nothing more."

Wrong. He was more now, now that she breathed life into him, pulled him out of Nergal's chains and made him human for the first time. Nino was pure and good, an angel of life, the light to his shadow. She didn't deserve anything that was thrust upon her, and yet she handled it all with and sparkling eyes and a beaming face – he had to protect her. The thought of losing her… it was too much.

He loved her.

"But, you and Nino... I just don't understand the way life works. Can I ask you just one question? Do you plan to wed this child?"

Of course. There was no one else in the world who mattered.

"You've become human, but that makes you less perfect. Someday... you'll die. No doubt trying to protect that girl."

So be it.

If that was the cost of his humanity, of caring for her, of loving her... so be it.

* * *

The sky was not black yet, but a deep, sapphire blue as they set up camp that evening. Tomorrow, Eliwood had said, they would advance to the Dragon's Gate. Tonight, Nino was on patrol orders with Jaffar, meandering around the stream next to the tents and keeping a keen eye for any remaining morphs. Well, Jaffar kept a keen eye. He was far better at this whole "keeping watch" thing than Nino, who kept getting distracted by frogs in the water and pretty, twinkling stars in the sky.

"Nino, about earlier..."

At her name, Nino stopped walking, nearly in shock. "What?" she asked. It wasn't like Jaffar to break the silence – usually, that was her job.

He turned to face her, but couldn't meet her eyes. His face was darkened by the tones of evening, only illuminated by the light floating over from the camp. "I am sorry but... I will not be able to keep our promise."

"But... what do you mean?"

Jaffar paused and took a breath before answering. "I said that I would always be your friend, that I would always be by your side... but something has changed."

Fuming, Nino clenched her fists at her side. "N-no!" she stammered. "How could you?! Y-you promised! You said...!"

"...Relax."

"I won't! What, am I a bother to you?!" Suddenly, her delicate, bell chime of a voice rose to a near shout. Was she overreacting? It wasn't as if she'd never been rejected before. "You just want to be rid of me?! Then why did you save me in the first place?! Why were you so nice to me?! How could you let me trust you... and then... betray me?!"

"Nino, listen to what..."

"Jaffar, I hate you!" She didn't let him finish. This was exactly what happened with Sonia... it was the same hurting, the same betrayal, and Nino couldn't handle it once more. Not from Jaffar. "How could you?!"

With that, she turned to run away, but was held back by the firm grip of Jaffar's calloused hand on her upper arm. "Nino! Stop!" he exclaimed, pulling her close, separated by mere inches.

"Let me go! Don't touch me!" Nino retorted, fighting and squirming in Jaffar's hold.

"I love you..."

No one had ever told Nino anything like that ever before. Not the way Jaffar just said it, genuine and soft in the starlight, those three words… Cautiously, she turned to face him, her lips parted in surprise. Jaffar's face, she noticed, was flushed pink – was the assassin himself actually capable of blushing?

"I... love you..." he repeated, loosening his fingers from Nino's arm and trailing them down to connect with her hand.

She was so close, so near to his body. "Jaffar..." she whispered, warmth flooding her cheeks.

"That is why I can't just be your friend. That is all I wanted to say..."

Nino's gaze shifted upwards to meet his through her eyelashes. "...Really...?"

"Do I look like the joking type to you?"

"...No. But..." She finally unclenched her free hand, only to begin nervously thumbing at the end of her skirt. "It's just that... It's just so hard to..."

"...love me?"

"No!" she squeaked. "That's not what I meant. I mean, I... Jaffar, I..."

 _I've never been so close to anyone. Not like this._

Both her hands were in his now.

"I love you... too."

All at once, Nino was swept into an embrace, her face pressed against the rough fabric of Jaffar's shirt. She turned to the side to rest her cheek against him comfortably.

"Nino..." The deep tones of Jaffar's voice resounded in his chest and in Nino's ear. "When this battle has ended, we... should live together."

"Together? Like... like as a family?"

"Yes. Nino, please... marry me. I will protect you, always... with my life."

Not like Sonia. Like a real family, like real love.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, emotion sticking to her throat, threatening to burn her from the inside out. Her voice couldn't manage above a murmur. "Yes... Let's always be together..." Holding back tears proved difficult – how Jaffar had frightened her! And so a few escaped her, pooling up under her eyes and spilling onto Jaffar's clothes. "Jaffar... Don't ever leave me... Ever."

"I won't."

Nino sniffled and looked up at Jaffar, bearing into his deep, dark eyes with the conviction of a lion. "No. You have to promise."

Slowly, Jaffar's lips lifted into a smile. "I promise. On my honor... On my heart."

And so he kissed her.


	2. House and Home

After the grimness of the heavily forested Dread Isle, the sight of sun beams pervading the lower decks through cracks in the wood was certainly a pleasant reprieve. It was a reminder that, even after facing death and destruction, life pushed forward. There was hope after the war.

"Uncle Merlinus," Nino asked, eyes focused on the weaponry before her as she helped the merchant in sorting the army's supplies in the cargo hold of Fargus' ship. "What are you going to do when we get back to the mainland?"

"Oh, continue my shop, of course," he replied simply. "Lord Eliwood promised to assist me with my endeavours in Pherae."

"Can I come with you?"

"Wh-what?!" Merlinus exclaimed, nearly dropping the arm full of vulneraries he was sorting. "Nino, you've only recently turned fifteen. As much as I care for you, living with an older man like me would look suspicious! I have a reputation as a businessman to uphold!"

Nino laughed. "I don't want to move in with you, you silly! It's just... I realized I don't really have a home to go back to anymore."

"Not in Bern?"

"No." Nino looked down, her bangs casting a shadow over her face as they fell over her forehead. "'Home' for us was with the Black Fang, but..."

That was right... the poor girl had lost the only family she'd ever known, hadn't she? "Oh... I'm sorry, Nino. I should have thought of that before mentioning it..."

Nino managed a thin smile. "I think I've come to accept it now, that I'll probably never get to go back there."

"In that case, what _were_ you planning on doing, now that Nergal is gone?"

"I, um..." A shy blush appeared on her cheeks, and her smile turned into a grin. "I haven't told anyone yet, but Jaffar proposed to me."

If it was physically possible, Merlinus' jaw would have sunk to the floor. "Y-you're engaged?!" Here he was, in his forties already, and even he wasn't married yet!

Nino nodded excitedly in response.

"Goodness gracious... I suppose opposites really do attract, don't they?"

"Yes..." Her eyes twinkled as she spoke, like the soft glow of stars in the sky. "I love him."

"Yes, I know, but love doesn't pay the bills, Nino. Luckily, you have your merchant friend here who cares about where you're going in life – you have so much ahead of you! So you should have a safe place to stay – I can help you find a home in Lycia, certainly. Though I think we should also speak to Lord Eliwood and see what he can – agh!"

Having abandoned the weapons she was putting away, Nino threw her arms around Merlinus for a hug before he could finish his proposition. "Uncle Merlinus, thank you so much! I love you!" she cried. "How can I ever repay you?"

"I haven't done anything yet!" Merlinus replied frantically, weakly attempting to free himself from Nino's bear hug. "Now please, let go of me! If your... _fiancée_ sees this, I'll surely be killed..."

Nino laughed as she stepped away from him and returned to her work. "Just the promise means a lot to me, Uncle. Thank you."

Merlinus sighed. Believing so strongly in the power and sanctity of promises... Nino was naïve to a fault. Yet she was strong, having come out of the darkness of the Black Fang with a smile still shining on her face. She was innocent, kind, and optimistic, and had become a daughter of sorts to Merlinus, now that he thought about it. She, above anyone else, deserved a peaceful future.

* * *

Earlier that morning, Nino had felt a tad nauseous, and a headache continued to pester her as the afternoon approached. Jaffar said she didn't have to go out if she wasn't feeling well, and they really should call on a cleric; but nonetheless, Nino insisted on the day trip. Perhaps she did still feel a tad yucky, but a slight illness wasn't enough to bring her down. She'd seen worse, after all.

So now she stood in cool sea water lapping at her shins, soft sand squishing beneath her bare feet. Nino took a deep breath - salty scents wafted all around as she gazed out on the southern sea expanding before her, watching seagulls diving down to feed and distant ships floating about the waters. In this moment, nothing could possibly happen; it was as if the world completely stopped for one serene day at the beach, one pleasant moment for Nino and Jaffar.

She let out a sigh, which settled into a smile as she turned to her husband, who still stood a few paces behind her on the shore. "I'm so glad you were off work today, so we could come out here."

Jaffar gave his typical thin smile in return. "Are you... are you sure you want to spend the day at the beach?" he asked, adjusting the wicker picnic basket in the crook of his arm. "Because... if you're still ill, I can take care of you at home..."

"No!" Nino replied. She walked back from the shallows to stand before him, arms crossed in solidarity. "I probably just ate breakfast too fast, that's all. I'm fine. Besides, we already decided that the next chance we got, we'd spend the day here, right?"

Jaffar didn't argue with her.

Playfully, Nino grinned in thanks and took his hand. "Come on, now that we're here, let's... let's build a sandcastle!"

"Like... children?"

"Exactly!" She pulled him down to sit cross-legged on the ground with her and almost instantly went to work, digging and packing and shaping sand to form four walls in the patch of beach between them. When that was done, she began creating cylindrical turrets on the corners, and without need for words, Jaffar helped too, piling sediment to raise towers on his side of the fortress. To top them off, Nino found four palm-sized conch shells and wedged them into the pinnacle of each turret for decoration – a castle had to be pretty, of course.

"Now..." she mumbled as she examined their creation. What else? Before she could figure it out for herself, Jaffar answered as he began digging a shallow trench around the castle's outer walls. "Jaffar, what's that?"

"A moat. It's... to protect the castle."

Nino couldn't help but smile as she watched him carefully carve the moat with his hands, noticeably calloused from work on the docks these past few years – fishing work was easy to find in the coastal Pherae. Sunlight glimmered orange off the auburn hair falling over his forehead as he focused on the project; no longer was he shrouded by cloak and hood. He'd put his old assassin garb away years ago, not long before the wedding. "I'm not an assassin anymore," he'd told Nino. And so he wasn't.

It wasn't just that part of Jaffar that changed, however. As time went on, he opened up more and more, revealing more of _Jaffar_ \- he was always there, after all. He was the one who spared her in Bern, who stood by her in confronting Sonia, who kissed her in the starlight, who held her hands, gently and sweetly, in an Elmine church and married her. Every day, Nino saw a little more of that Jaffar, saw him take over the cold-hearted man she once knew. And every day, Nino fell a little deeper in love.

She picked up a small, loose piece of driftwood from beside her and set it over the moat. "There. That can be the drawbridge, so we can let our friends in, and..." Finding an oval-shaped scallop, Nino set it into the side of the castle. "That's the door! How does that look?"

Jaffar smiled and looked over their creation. "I like it," he said. He picked up a couple of snail shells and set them upright within the enclosure of the castle walls. They sat side by side, and though they could have come from opposite sides of the sea as far as anyone knew, they looked as if they belonged there together. "There. That's... us. In our castle."

"Aw, Jaffar!" Nino squealed as she scooted around the building to his spot in the sand, throwing her arms around him and pressing her cheek against his. She beamed at the miniature replication of her own family – though she secretly wished there were more shells in their castle, she and Jaffar hadn't exactly discussed such prospects yet. Just the two of them was perfectly fine for now, however. "I love it," she whispered – she couldn't be happier.

Jaffar's lips pressed lightly against the top of her head. "Do you want to eat lunch?" he asked. "I packed us sandwiches."

"I'd like that," Nino replied cheerily.

She reached to pull the picnic blanket out from the basket, and Jaffar helped her lay it out on the sand. Lunch by the sea was quaint and uneventful – mostly just Nino teasing her husband about getting breadcrumbs all over his shirt – until Nino got an upset stomach again.

This time, she listened to Jaffar and let him take her home early, abandoning their sandcastle to be washed away by the evening tide.


	3. Reigh and Lugh

It was with a soft, gentle voice and rosy cheeks that she told him.

"Jaffar... I'm pregnant."

The words hung in the air like stars, fixed and irrevocable. _Pregnant._ A single statement meant so much to them, meant such drastic change for the life they shared. Jaffar could only stare back into her glimmering blue eyes, unable to form a real reaction.

And Nino was still optimistic about it all, resting her hand over Jaffar's and smiling up at him. "Isn't it wonderful? We're going to have a baby, Jaffar – you'll be a father!"

A moment more and finally, he spoke, slowly and carefully and still attempting to comprehend what was happening. "A... father..." Another pause. "Nino... Nino, I don't know."

"You don't know?"

His tone wasn't much above a whisper, almost remorseful. "...Will we be good parents?" he asked.

He didn't have to explain his fear to Nino – she was well aware, just as he was, that they were both orphans. So what business did they have raising children? Did they even know how? Neither had the faintest glimpse of a loving birth family – they were shooting stars to them, disappearing from the sky before they had the chance to understand, to make their wish. And though Nino had her foster family with the Reeds, what of Jaffar? He was raised in a world of heartlessness and death, a tool in someone else's game. And as a result, he'd caused so, so much trouble, destroyed the lives of so many... Was he even allowed to be a father?

What if their child, somehow, wound up like him?

Nino deserved better from her husband.

Still, she gazed at him with eyes sparkling with concern and compassion, eyebrows slightly upturned. She leaned closer as sat beside each other on the edge of the bed. "Is that what you're unsure of? That we won't be good parents?"

Slowly, he nodded. "I'm just not sure... how. How to be a father... I'm sorry."

"Jaffar, Jaffar, Jaffar..." Nino shook her head. "It's okay. It's okay to be worried – I am too. I mean, neither of us had much as far as family went, right? But Jaffar... you have a good heart. Maybe you can't see it now, but I know you'll be a great father. I know it."

"A... good heart?"

"Why else do you think I love you?"

A warm smile gently spread on Jaffar's lips. _Love._ Nino was right. It was love they needed, and love they had plenty. Love made their family, love would carry them on. Love pulled them out of the darkness and into the light. Love... love was _everything._

He closed his eyes and found Nino's lips with his own.

Love.

She kissed back, slowly and sweetly, and he felt it everywhere, every corner of his body, from his fingertips to his chest to his feet, love, love, love, loving Nino.

 _Love._

It was all they had. But as they fell back together on the bed, it was all they needed.

* * *

He knew what twins were and he knew that, based on the picture in the golden locket that hung around his neck, Nino's biological brothers were twins. But even when her stomach appeared to be almost abnormally huge near the pregnancy's end, Jaffar couldn't have seen it coming.

Twin boys.

Healthy, giggly, cherub-cheeked twin boys.

There was, initially, a hectic scramble to readjust their plans to fit _two_ babies instead of just one, but before long, they settled into life as a family of four. The children were named Reigh and Lugh, after heroes Nino read about in one of her books. Both looked exactly like their mother – soft, bouncy green hair, sky-blue eyes, infectious, sunny smiles – the resemblance only made Jaffar love them more as he watched them grow.

The resemblance didn't stop there, as Jaffar learned one night as he put the twins to bed. They were three now, and after falling asleep on Nino as she read them a book, Jaffar was the one to carry them back to the nursery and tuck them in.

"I think they have the gift," Nino whispered over his shoulder as he pulled a blanket over Reigh and Lugh.

"Magic?"

She nodded. "I can't explain it, because magic is so odd and finicky, but... I just get the feeling from them that they can use it, too. So... when they're a little older, I think I'd like to start showing them the incantations."

Jaffar's frown was shrouded by the shadows of the room. "I pray they never have to use it..."

"I know," Nino replied with a sigh. "But should anything happen, Elmine forbid, I want them to be able to defend themselves."

"With you as a teacher, they'll be fine," Jaffar reassured. He leaned over the bed, Nino's locket dangling from his neck and hovering over the sleeping children. To not disturb them, Jaffar pressed it against his chest as he kissed them goodnight, a peck on the forehead for Reigh and Lugh each.

 _Sweet dreams, my little mages._


	4. The Hunt

"Oh my goodness, Uncle Merlinus! It's you!"

"Wha- Nino?!" Merlinus turned from attending to his inventory to see a familiar young woman before him in the open-air market he'd set up shop in that day.

"It's been so long!" Nino cheered. "What are you doing here? I thought you went to the capital?"

"Oh, I decided to take some time to sell in the villages. Beside that, how have you been?" the merchant replied. It had been a long time since he'd had a chance to check up on her – now she was a little taller, her hair a little longer. The biggest change, however, was sitting on Nino's hip and clinging to her side.

She noticed what Merlinus was looking at and smiled. "Merlinus, this is Raigh," she said, referring to the shy toddler in her arms. "And this" - she motioned to another little boy who held onto her leg - "is Lugh! They're our twins. Say hello to Uncle Merlinus, boys!"

"H-hello," Lugh stuttered, grinning widely at the merchant. Raigh, in contrast, turned his head to face his mother rather than greet a new friend.

"He's a little shy, isn't he?" Merlinus chuckled.

"Oh, Raigh? He's a funny one." Affectionately, Nino rustled her son's hair, and continued. "He'll act withdrawn like this, but sometimes, I swear he'd be halfway to Etruria if I didn't have a hold on him! But it's only because he's curious. He and Lugh... I couldn't ask for more. They're a handful, but Jaffar is great with them. You should see them!"

"That's right, how is your husband?"

"Well, he's working right now. So I decided to come to market with the twins... come to think of it, Merlinus, do you stock tomes still?"

He turned around and pulled a wooden crate of spell books from the convoy. "Could I call myself a merchant if I didn't?" he replied with a smile.

"Wonderful!" Nino said, setting Raigh down with Lugh. Letting the children play with each other, she shifted through Merlinus' stock and pulled out an elementary fire tome. "The twins are nearly five now, so I wanted to show them the basics. In case they ever need it, anyway."

"Ah. I presume you've heard of Bern, then? It is enough to put us all on guard..."

Nino's brow furrowed. "Bern? What's happened in Bern?"

"Nino, you don't know? Oh my... Prince Zephiel has murdered his father and taken the throne. Since then, he's ordered an invasion of Sacae and -" Merlinus gasped and dropped his voice closer to a whisper, his eyes focused solemnly on Nino. "You haven't let anyone know about you and the Fang, have you?"

"What? Oh no! All anyone knows about us is that we met serving in Eliwood's army, then decided to settle here... why do you ask?"

"It's said that Zephiel fears they'll reform and pose a threat to his ambitions – he must know about the plot on his life years ago. There's a bounty on anyone remaining with ties to the Black Fang."

Concerned, Nino touched her mouth with her fingers. "That's terrible..." she mused. "I wonder if Jaffar knows? He won't like news of this..."

"Will you be alright? Perhaps you should come to the capital with me – I'm sure Lord Eliwood could offer -"

"No, but thank you, Merlinus. You needn't get any more involved with the old Fang than you have to."

"So what will you do?"

She gave a reassuring smile. "We'll lay low for now. We've been through worse than this – surely we can avoid Zephiel's witch hunt. If anything... we're going to make sure that these two don't have to deal with their parents' problems."

Merlinus cast a glance at the children, who were currently fascinated by a snail's shell Lugh discovered in the dirt under the convoy. He sighed. "Nino... the tome is on me. I trust you'll take care of yourself?"

She clutched the burgundy book to her chest, eyes shining with gratitude. "Y-yes! Thank you, Uncle Merlinus. Trust me, we'll make it through this scare alright. Let it pass over – give a few years, and you'll get to meet the brightest mages of the next generation!"

With a light chuckle, Merlinus took her word for it. When he did come to meet the twins again, he was glad to know that at least one of Nino's promises that day was kept.


	5. As Long as You're Mine

Jaffar knew about the bounty hunt. He'd heard whispers for months – Black Fang criminals were on the loose, and the king's reward was far more than mere pocket change. It was bothersome, certainly, but Jaffar left no evidence of his own involvement in the Fang. As long as he kept quiet, no one would know.

Then his name came up.

"The Four Fangs... weren't all of them killed in battle with the marquess?" another fisherman asked over their work. "No one can get the bounty from that, not unless Lord Eliwood himself marches up to King Zephiel..."

"I heard about that. Notorious assassins, all of them – Ursula, the pair of twins... come to think of it, wasn't there a man named Jaffar?"

With all eyes on the man in question, he feigned a chuckle. "I know what you're thinking, but unfortunately, my sharing a name with a killer in the _Black Fang_ is a coincidence. The only time we've been to Bern was with the army."

And so Jaffar left it at that.

But lies could only protect so much. There was bound to be word travelling on the mouths of fishermen and townsfolk of a man named Jaffar living in Pherae, and hopefully just that, not "his wife and sons as well." They had done nothing to deserve being targets – Nino spared the life of the king who wanted her head! But she was not known as an outlaw, and no one would remember her for being in the Black Fang.

Jaffar, however, would be remembered. All the lives he took... it was a miracle he didn't die by the hands of Marquess Ostia when they met in Bern, or by the spy Matthew when he found out about Leila. Besides King Zephiel, there were bound to be hundreds of people in Elibe who wouldn't mind Jaffar dead. The bounty was just a nice incentive. Because of this, Jaffar put Nino at risk, but knew that if he came to be confronted, she would stand by his side.

He couldn't let her fall with him.

"Nino?" he said one night, just as they were climbing into bed after tucking in the twins. "It's late, but there's something I want to give you."

"What is it?" she asked, sitting upon the mattress with her legs tucked at her side.

Jaffar picked it up off the nightstand and crawled into bed next to her. "I was going to wait until your birthday, but I thought it would be better to give this to you now."

In his outstretched palm lay a small, golden, slightly blood-stained locket.

"Oh, it's mother's locket I asked you to hold on to!"

"There's more to it than that. Look." Carefully, Jaffar unlatched the locket to reveal its contents. Now, instead of holding a sole picture, the charm now held two – one of Nino and her parents and brothers, as well as a new one depicting her with her husband and children - two happy families preserved in a locket, smiling up at her.

Her eyes glistened with tears. "Oh... oh, Jaffar, thank you so much! Can you put it on me?"

"Now?"

"Why not? It's an important token, and I want to wear it."

Gently, Jaffar wrapped his arms around her to fasten the golden chain behind her neck. Once attached, he pressed his lips to where the jewelry met the side of her neck, breathing softly against her skin.

"Jaffar..."

He moved up and kissed her cheek, then pulled away just far enough for her to see his slight smile in the half-light of the room. "Now, when you see the locket, you don't have to think about the family you lost." He pressed his fingers to where it lay on her chest. "It's a reminder that I love you. Always, I will love you."

She enclosed Jaffar's hand with her own, wrapping it in her warmth. "And I love you."

For a moment, he looked at her, at how she had become only more beautiful with age, the kindness in her eyes tempered with wisdom and love.

It was more than reason enough to save her.

He kissed her again, starting at her hands that held his, then her neck again, then her lips as she let him press against her on the pillows. Jaffar rarely wore a shirt when he slept, so Nino's hands were free to roam his chest and back until they found the top of his pants and slipped beneath the fabric.

With that, he helped her slip off her gown and began pressing kisses down her chest, her stomach, her thighs, listening to the murmur of his own name and feeling Nino's hands run through his hair. She needn't guide him, however. Her body was so familiar to Jaffar – the soft touch of her belly, the sweet taste of her lips, the delicate grasp of her fingers. He knew how to love her. He knew how to make this night matter.

* * *

As usual, Nino fell asleep first.

Tonight, he would save her. As she once saved his life, now he would save hers.


	6. Dawn

Nino awoke to an empty bed and a handwritten note.

 _"Because I love you."_

She knew the rushed, small-print handwriting well. Tears blurred her vision as she read it over, one, two, a thousand times. _"Because."_ Because why? But she knew. Sobbing, crinkling the paper in her hands, she knew. She knew why he left the note, why he gave her back the locket that rested on her chest, why he wasn't beside her when she awoke.

He thought it was for the best.

Morning sunlight shone through the bedroom window and Nino turned to look out. Wrapping a blanket around herself, she crawled out of bed and over to the window, unlatching it and swinging it open to let the fresh air of Elibe fill the room. There was an entire world out there, filled with life and promise, even now.

Somewhere, out there, was Jaffar. Perhaps he was hiding, but Nino would find him. No matter where he was, she would find him.

Through the cold tears running down her cheeks, she forced a smile.

"Because I love you," Nino whispered.


	7. Loving Optimism

"Mama, where are we?"

"I'm hungry, Mama. I'm hungry."

"Shh, Raigh. I know," Nino replied, looking at the parchment in her hand. By the light of her torch, she compared it to the address of the house they stood in front of. "It's okay. We're at a friend's house."

Cautiously, she knocked on the door. "Which friend's house are we at?" Lugh asked.

"An old friend of Mama and Papa's."

"Do they know where Papa is?"

The door opened, slowly at first, then swinging open to reveal a man in the doorway. The illumination of the candle in his hand revealed his angelic appearance – long, well-kept blonde hair framed the soft, feminine curve of his face and concerned expression upon it. "Nino?" he asked. "I haven't seen you in years... what brings you here so late?"

Another man – this one slightly shorter and ginger-haired – appeared behind him, eying Nino and the children suspiciously.

She smiled shyly. "Hello, Lucius, Raven. The... the twins and I needed a place to stay tonight, so I-"

"Say no more, Nino. Please, come in - there's still some soup, it won't take long to warm it up. We served the children dinner not long ago." The angel man – he must have been the one Nino called "Lucius", as he appeared too gentle to be a "Raven" - guided them into the house, then into the kitchen, where a fire in the hearth warmed the room.

Raven gestured to a wooden table. "You two may sit here," he told the twins.

"Go on, Raigh, Lugh. We're going to get you some dinner, okay?"

"Okay, Mama," Lugh answered with a smile, and climbed into a chair. Raigh followed suit, but did so silently.

Nino then left and followed Lucius and Raven to the stove, where a large pot of soup still sat. They kept their voices low as they spoke, but Lugh could still pick up the conversation from where he was.

"How old are they?"

"Five, just recently."

"...Nino, what happened? Was it the war? What brought you to our doorstep at eight in the evening?"

"No, not the war, it's... my husband, Jaffar... he's missing."

"Missing?" A pause. "Don't tell me he ran -"

"He did _not_ run out on us," Nino snapped, her voice harsh and bitter like a December freeze. Lugh had never heard it like that before. "...I'm sorry. It's the bounty hunters. They're after him for being in the Black Fang, so he left to keep them away from the twins and me, but... I think they're after me, too."

"After you? Nino, from all I know, you've hardly done anything to warrant a bounty on your head..."

"'Daughter of known assassin Sonia Reed. Wanted for her association with the Black Fang.' I've seen at least one sign in every town between Pherae and here."

"Nino... I'm so sorry..."

"I've been able to avoid it so far, but I still haven't been able to find Jaffar."

"You're looking for him?"

"I have to. I love him, and I have to find him to figure out what to do until this 'hunt' blows over."

"And that's why you're here."

Lugh heard a sniffle, likely belonging to a mother on the verge of tears. "I can't put the twins though travelling Elibe, not with this war going on and mercenaries on my tail. I... I know it's a lot to ask, but I heard you two had an orphanage in Araphen, and I was hoping you could take care of them for a while. Temporarily."

"I'm hungry..." Raigh mumbled.

"Mama says we must be _patient,_ " Lugh reminded quietly. "Shh!"

"Nino, it isn't a problem. Your children have a home with us any day."

"Oh, oh Lucius, thank you!" Nino's voice was closer to its normal, energetic volume now. "Thank you, thank you, thank you..."

"We can discuss it all more later. Here. I'll take this to the twins, and you can eat with them."

Raven reappeared at the table and set two bowls of soup before the twins. "Eat up," he said, handing each of them a spoon.

Nino sat next to them, setting down her own bowl. She smiled reassuringly to the children, though a hint of redness was still evident around her eyes. "Go ahead, Raigh, Lugh. It's alright."

The soup was warm and hearty, full of vegetables and mild flavor – it was like the stew Nino made when winter came, like a thick blanket on a chilly night. Having not eaten since lunch the previous day, when he watched his mother use the last of her gold to buy a loaf of bread for them to share, Lugh devoured his dinner. Carefully, he scooped up every last bit with his spoon, and from the corner of his eye noticed that his equally hungry brother did the same.

"Th-thank you, Mister Lucius and Mister Raven," Lugh said once his dish sat empty before him.

From across the table, Lucius smiled back. "You're quite welcome."

"Just remember, Lugh, Lucius is a monk," Nino said, ruffling Lugh's soft green hair. "Call him Father Lucius."

"Yes mama."

Lucius rose from his seat and walked over to the twins, bending over to speak at their level. "It's alright," he said pleasantly. "Lugh, Raigh, come follow me, please. I'll show you where you will be sleeping tonight."

"We always sleep with Mama," Raigh replied, though he got out of his chair nonetheless.

"It's okay, Raigh. Come this way," Nino reassured.

Lugh didn't hesitate in following his mother and the priest out of the kitchen, through the parlor, and into the dimly lit hallway, his brother close behind him. The house was larger than the two-bedroom cottage they left behind in Pherae – Lugh counted four doorways before they stopped at the room at the end of the hall. After growing up in a comparatively small house and spending the past month in inns and under the stars, Lucius and Raven's home was practically a mansion.

"The boys' room," Lucius said as he creaked open the door, his voice hushed. "There's an open bed by the window. Please, just mind that the other children should be sleeping."

"Thank you," Nino whispered. "Come here, boys. It's time for bed."

Together, they walked across the foreign room, past the beds of strangers to climb into the one promised by Father Lucius. Besides the strangeness of it all – the odd feeling of a new blanket on skin, the scent of unfamiliar soap on the sheets – Nino pulled them back home, tucking them in as she always did with soft, loving kisses and a promise of good dreams.

"Mama, mama, what's happening? Why are we here?" Raigh asked, just before she turned away.

"Shh, Raigh, the other little boys are sleeping. And I need you to sleep, too," Nino replied, crouching down beside the bed. "I'll tell you what we're going to do in the morning. But one thing I know is that we aren't going to have to be on the road anymore. Things are going to get better, I promise."

"Promise?"

"Promise. Good night, Raigh, Lugh. I love you."

It had been too long since Lugh last fell asleep like that, with a full stomach and a warm bed. Quickly he descended into dreams, dreams of the future, of things getting better, better, promises of things getting better someday, somehow.

* * *

The spring sunshine was bright and pleasant and warm, like Mama's laugh, like Papa's smile, surrounding Raigh and Lugh as they stood on the orphanage's porch the next morning.

They weren't orphans, she assured them. They had a mama, they had a papa, but they were going to stay with Lucius and Raven for now – just until she found their father again. It wouldn't be long. She would find where he disappeared to, and in a few months' time, she'd bring him back to Raigh and Lugh so they could be a family again, just like always. So there was no need for tears to be shed, no need to be sad – she'd be back soon.

Goodbyes were said, hugs and kisses given generously, and Nino was off, with a sack of provisions and a heart of determination. The last thing they saw was her back, diminishing smaller and smaller as she walked into the distance, glowing bright with hope in the sunlight.


End file.
